Southern Nevada Harm Reduction Alliance hosts International Overdose Awareness Day event, Aug. 30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 20, 2018

LAS VEGAS — The Southern Nevada Harm Reduction Alliance (SNHRA) is hosting its second International Overdose Awareness Day observance to raise awareness that overdose events are preventable and to commemorate family and friends who have lost their lives to addiction. In 2016, opioid-related deaths in Clark County declined by 4 percent, from 298 deaths in 2015 to 286. The local recognition of Overdose Awareness Day is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, August 30 at Chuck Minker Sports Complex, 275 N. Mojave Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89101. SNHRA will offer three overdose prevention and naloxone training sessions between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The training is free, but participants must register at www.eventbrite.com/e/overdose-prevention-and-naloxone-training-tickets-47319402607. For more information about the event or the SNHRA, visit the Southern Nevada Harm Reduction Alliance Facebook page.

In Clark County, the average rate of drug poisonings (overdoses) was 20.8 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2016. The highest rate continued to be found in the 89101 ZIP code at 44.3 deaths per 100,000 residents for the same year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 66 percent of the more than 63,600 drug overdose deaths in 2016 involved an opioid. The number of overdose deaths that involved opioids (including prescription and illegal opioids) was five times higher in 2016 than it was in 1999. The CDC also reports that 115 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. For more information about opioids, visit the CDC’s Opioid Basics page.

The continuing epidemic of opioid-related deaths highlights the need to provide resources, education, and tools to combat addiction and support recovery efforts.

SNHRA is composed of public health professionals, HIV providers, addiction specialists, syringe exchange programs, homeless providers, prevention and recovery advocates, and health care representatives. Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of people who use drugs by reducing drug-related stigma, overdoses, and the harmful effects of drugs among Southern Nevadans regardless of their circumstances. SNHRA also provides education and resources about reducing substance misuse and unintentional overdose deaths, as well as reducing the risks of acquiring or transmitting bloodborne infections. Each month, the Southern Nevada Health District, in conjunction with members of SNHRA, provides testing for HIV and hepatitis C, sterile syringes, and homeless services. A comprehensive needle/syringe exchange program in Clark County operates at member agency, Trac-B Exchange.

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.